Pablo & Nicole

Unconditional Love is adopted at our store almost daily! Handsome Pablo is the featured cat on our cover, with his pet parent Nicole. We talked to Nicole about her and Pablo’s love story that started at Heartland, Mississauga Pet Valu.

Tell us about how you met Pablo?

Pablo and I met when I was in Pet Valu to look at some dog toys for my sister’s dog. I saw him in the cage, (looking so handsome) and I just had to ask about him. He had his paw and bum shaved, and had already been there awhile. The employees told me no one wanted him because he shed too much and was an older boy. Over the next couple weeks, I kept checking to see if he was still there, and it broke my heart to see that he was – I knew I needed him. When I opened the cage to pet him, he immediately wanted to be picked up and put his paws around me like a hug. I knew at that moment I was meant to be his Mommy. My fiancé wasn’t sure we needed another cat, but when he saw him he fell in love too. We put in an application which was accepted the next day.

Why did you decide to adopt an older cat?

It didn’t matter to us at all that he was an older cat; it wasn’t even a factor in our decision. We just knew he needed a home, and he’s still got so many great years left in his life. He didn’t deserve to stay in a cage with no family, just like no other cat does.

What is Pablo like at home?

He is a gorgeous boy with such a wonderful personality and laid back temperament. He is very cuddly, but is not a lap cat. He prefers to sit beside you on the couch or in his special cardboard box. He especially loves sitting with Daddy and watching the Leaf game. He rubs his cheeks on just about anything he sees, and often lets his sister (our other cat) terrorize him without fighting back. He also prefers to drink out of a running facet, his favourite being the bathtub. Watch out if you’re cooking, he’s a beggar!

What advice would you give to someone thinking about adopting a cat?

Adopting a cat means that another lucky animal gets to find their forever home. Our advice would be that there is a lot of care and work involved in having an animal, both in time and money. This needs to be considered, however adopting a cat will give you unconditional love and someone to come home to everyday that is always excited to see you. Every pet has their own quirky personality. A cat can make any bad day good!